- 35 years experience
- Iowa based clinician
- LISW credential
About Mary
Mary Blankenburg is a licensed independent social worker (LISW) with 35 years of clinical experience. She emphasizes the healing power of a strong therapeutic relationship and connects with clients to explore feelings and life history. Her work aims to reduce symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and panic while addressing trauma effects and related challenges.
Mary has worked in community mental health, programs for adolescents and families, and in private practice for many years. She brings long-term experience helping people cope with loss, life changes, addictions, and identity concerns. Her background includes work with people who have personality traits that complicate relationships and emotional regulation.
Her approach draws on methods that focus on thoughts, behavior, and relationships. She uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice patterns and try new ways of responding. Attachment-based ideas guide work on relationships and early-life influences.
Mary also integrates body-aware practices from her dance background to help people notice how stress shows up physically. She teaches ways to recognize bodily cues of arousal and safety, and she uses gentle movement and trauma-focused skills to support gradual change. These practices are offered alongside talk-based work and emotion regulation strategies.
She aims to help people increase self-kindness while addressing painful memories and current problems. The focus is steady, practical steps toward better coping, clearer communication, and improved daily functioning.
How therapy approaches translate to online work
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice painful thoughts without getting stuck in them and focus on actions that match their values. It is often used for anxiety, depression, and life transitions.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns, then practices concrete changes to reduce symptoms like panic, insomnia, and low mood.
Attachment-Based Therapy examines relationship patterns from early life and how they show up now, helping people rebuild safer ways of relating and managing emotions.
Finding the right approach is part of therapy. The therapist will work collaboratively to choose methods that fit the person's goals, needs, and comfort. Sessions can mix approaches so practical skills and body-aware noticing happen alongside talking about history and relationships.
The biography does not specify which online session formats are offered, so confirm current options before booking. Online work can make scheduling easier and help therapy fit into a busy day. It can allow shorter check-ins, sessions that avoid travel time, and easier access when juggling work or caregiving. Licensed professionals adapt techniques like ACT and CBT to work over virtual sessions while guiding clients through exercises, breathing or movement practices, and skill-building between meetings.
Areas of expertise
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
35+ years
Credentials
Iowa
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does this therapist address?
Mary works with stress, anxiety, trauma, grief, depression, addictions, and related issues like shame, body image, and communication problems.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
She builds a strong therapeutic relationship and combines talk therapy with body-aware practices to help people notice how emotions show up physically.
What is her clinical experience?
Mary brings 35 years of experience across community mental health, adolescent and family programs, and long-term private practice work.
What credentials and region are listed?
She holds an LISW credential and practices in Iowa.
Which languages are supported and are international clients accepted?
Sessions are offered in English and international clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats are available?
The biography does not list specific session formats; confirm current session options with the service before booking.
How does payment or cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with this therapist?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to the therapist's availability.